Celtics game 1 Running Diary: I just got called for a technical foul

It’s the Eastern Conference Finals series that no one expected but we all kind of expected. The Miami Heat were the heavy favorites of the Eastern Conference coming into the season, but the Boston Celtics and their seasoned veterans have made their mark on the Eastern Conference and have reached the ECF for the third time  in the past five seasons.

Of course I wrote a running diary of at least game one. Here’s what transpired:

7:48- Welcome live to my living room! Advantage number one since the last running diary I did. I am back in the State of Massachusetts. Advantage number two: Everything is in high-definition now. Disadvantage number one, and really the only one. I have no one around to watch this basketball game with. It’s okay though. That’s why they invented twitter and the cell phone I guess.

7:55- I didn’t write a preview but I think the biggest key is (surprise!) Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. We have no idea when Chris Bosh is coming back for the Miami Heat which means that KG is going to usually have a match-up that benefits him. Even if Bosh comes back, I still thank that Garnett has the match-up advantage. He has to do what he was doing in the beginning of the playoffs for the Celtics to have a chance.

Then Rajon Rondo. Here’s hoping he grew up after Game 7 and finally is willing to take his place as the best player and leader on his team and also willing to take over when he has too? If he finally took that step, we might see two or three triple-doubles from Rondo is this series. Getting matched-up with Mario Chalmers certainly helps. It will be interesting to see if the Heat switch Wade or Lebron James onto Rajon Rondo in order to get a better defensive match-up against Rondo. They do that, then maybe Pierce goes off. If Rondo goes off like we know he can it’s the chess match that he will force the coaches to play which I think benefits the Celtics.

7:58- Was Lebron James just reading one of the books in the Hunger Games trilogy? Yes, yes he was. He really makes my job too easy sometimes.

8:05- Here’s hoping the Celtics watched the Miami Heat welcome party video on repeat in order to get themselves pumped. I’m sure Kevin Garnett’s reaction when this first happened two summers ago contained multiple expletives and personal injury to himself and those around him.

8:12- I love the stats that are like “The team that wins Game 1 wins eighty percent of the time” or “Teams that win Game 5 in a 2-2 series win the series seventy whatever percent of the time”. I’m always so surprised when I hear stuff like that. Winning the first game of a series makes you more likely to win a series? I would  have never guessed that! Please tell me more!

8:22- Tommy Heinson on Celtics pregame live just described Joel Anthony as “What’s the other big man’s name?” The amount of confidence that I have in our ability to pound the Heat down low just skyrocketed.

8:28- Mike Gorman just said that Mickael Pietrus has to be huge this series without Avery. My confidence just plummeted.

8:30- I’ve never seen so many Miami Heat fans actually show up before the game! It’s like this is a big game or something.

8:36- Question that will probably get me yelled at: Who is the guy in the new IPhone Siri commercial and why does he want to sleep with his phone?

8:38- That’s right! It’s the time of the year for ESPN’s Conference Finals montage and NBA Finals montage, both of which I absolutely love. Still not old.

8:39- I wonder who decides the jerseys? Anyone else think its odd they brought out their road alternates for a playoff game? I guess that’s not the most important thing. It’s game time.

8:42- Okay, the nerves just got me.

8:43- Pierce was just got called for what looked like a phantom foul on a Lebron James fall-away. If that’s how this is going to get called, I don’t like it at all.

8:48- Looking at the box-score. Does someone want to answer to me why Rajon Rondo gets the turnover for the bounce pass that KG dropped out of bounds? Doesn’t seem right to me. In other news. Ugly offensive start both ways. Doesn’t that benefit the Celtics?

8:51- Would the first commercial break be a bad time to mention that Rondo looks like he is “go through the motions” mode or is too early? 10-5 Heat at the first break.

8:55- KG is taking his first quarter break when he is the only Celtics player with a field-goal. I know Doc learned to be consistent this year, but this really isn’t the time to stick to your guns.

8:56- Stiemsma scores. I now look like an idiot, don’t I?

9:00- First time that ESPN airs the Celtics BIG commercial. I’m pumped for the rest of this game. Now, I would really like a basket here.

9:03- Late foul calls, ugly offense, if I didn’t know better, I would say this is Game 8 of the 76er’s series except the 76er’s traded their entire team for the Miami Heat.

9:05- Okay, Chris Bosh. Those are fresh pants. That’s all I will say on that.

9:06- End of the first quarter. The good news is that the Boston Celtics have held the Heat to 21 points and their defense has looked pretty nice. The bad news is that they only scored 11 points, and the offense looked anemic. I’ll blame part on that on the rotations of the Miami Heat. I almost forgot how fast they move on defense. A shot can be open, and then all of a sudden there is a man in the shooter’s face forcing a bad or no shot. Not good.

Also not good, Lebron outscored the Celtics 13-11. Might want to fix that. Hey, he can’t play all 48 minutes, right?

9:11- Thank god for Kevin Garnett.

9:13- KG – 5 of 6 from the field. Rest of the team? 2 of 16 form the field. Eww…

9:14- When did Mike Miller awake from his three year coma? Does anyone have an answer? Also, CAN SOMEONE CLOSE OUT ON HIM PLEASE?

9:19- Twitter is informing me that Danny Crawford is the one that tossed Paul Pierce from Game 1 last year. Tonight, he is the head ref and has already given a technical foul to Ray Allen. I wonder what team he likes.

9:20- Garnett jumper, Mario Chalmers air-ball and a Keyon Dooling transition three bring the score to a six point deficit. There is no way that the Celtics can out-small lineup the Miami Heat all game, right?

9:27- Danny Crawford just called a technical foul on Kevin Garnett for…what exactly? A second delay of game? In the Eastern Conference Finals? Really? David Stern you disappoint me.

9:30- For the love of all that is good and holy can we not give up about a hundred offensive rebounds tonight? Please?

9:34- The good, Ray Allen get fouled and goes to the line for three free-throws. The bad, he is shooting 61% from the line during the playoffs.

9:35- Celtics finally cross the magical 6-point deficit “Do not cross line”. Ed Malloy realizes what is going on and gives Doc Rivers a technical foul for standing there with his arms crossed. DON’T LOOK BAD AT THE REF OR SAY “COME ON” OR ELSE WE SHALL GIVE YOU A TECHNICAL FOUL.

9:39- At what point do the Heat start the new HackaRay strategy? In other news, Pierce hits a two and the Celtics are down 2.

9:42- Technically, the game is tied because Anthony’s lay-up will get overturned. So the Celtics can take their first lead of the game with a 2.

9:43- Of course they don’t.

9:44- The one possession where we get a couple of offensive rebounds is the one possession where we can’t put the ball in the basket. Sigh…

9:45- You won’t believe it, but the Boston Celtics have scored 35 point this quarter. Maybe the 76er’s defense was really good.

9:46- Referees don’t review the Joel Anthony lay-up. I would like to say that I’m surprised, but I’m not.

9:48- End of the half with the Celtics only down 2. After a tough first quarter, the Celtics offense came alive in the second quarter. Big key was that the Celtics offense flowed better thanks to Rondo waking up and the Celtics got some key out-side shooting all around. If this keeps up, they will win this game.

The issue is, being streaky offensively is something the Celtics like to do.

9:51- Wait, whats this? Chris Forsberg is tweeting that the Joel Anthony shot is getting overturned? Are you saying it’s a tie game at 46 all?

9:59- Ray Allen was on the floor 8 minutes before everyone else shooting free-throws. I wonder is he was pissed.

10:08- Hey! Brandon Bass hit a bucket! Let’s see if we can take a lead.

10:10- Nope. The new magical “Do not cross line” is seems to be taking a lead. We’re going to have to cross that at some point. In other news, KG just picked up his third foul. Something to keep an eye considering he has been the most consistent player.

10:12- Cool Lebron. Cherry-picking takes a lot of skill.

10:13- Then we let Wade walk down the center of the lane. Yes Doc Rivers, please take a time-out. 7 point lead for the Miami Heat.

10:15- Wait… Stephen A. Smith is in Prometheus ads now? I’m sorry face-hugger but in the FOURTH QUARTER nobody, NOBODY, besides LEBRON JAMES should be hugging faces on a distant planet! ITS JUST THAT SIMPLE!

10:19- James Jones just gave me PTSD from last year’s Eastern Conference Playoffs. In other news, the Celtics were called for another technical foul.

10:23- This quarter is playing out like the first quarter. I’m guessing the Heat will end this one with an eight or ten point lead. I hope I’m wrong.

10:28- I love how it takes Kevin Garnett getting assaulted underneath the basket for the Celtics to go to the free-throw line.

10:31- Thank GOD for Kevin Garnett. 20 points.

10:32- End of the fourth quarter with the Heat up 11. I could have guessed that the Celtics would cool off offensively and they did, only scoring 13 points in that quarter. KG has 20/8, Rondo has 10/7/5 and Pierce is the only other scorer in double digits for the Celtics. Time for a repeat of that second quarter or we are not winning Game 1.

Truth be told, considering everything that has gone on tonight, I feel like this would qualify as stealing one. Still, I would love to steal one.

10:36- Erik Spolestra describes Lebron James as a maestro just hours after calling Rajon Rondo one. That’s like accidentally calling both woman you’re dating by the same nick-name.

10:38- Someone might want to tell the Miami Heat fans that they’re up 13.

10:40- When is it time to go to the 2-3 zone? I feel like now is a good enough time.

10:44- This doesn’t look good.17 point lead for Miami.

10:50- First sign of zone for the Celtics. It might be their only chance.

10:52- Lebron shoves Paul Pierce when trying to gain position in the post. Of course there wasn’t a foul call. What did you expect?

10:53- Maybe I should stop complaining. Bass gets fouled on the next possession and misses both his free throws.

10:55- Okay its time, CAN WE GET A REBOUND PLEASE!?

10:57- Nice job Heat fans. Thanks for finally getting involved.

10:59- We can’t hit our free throws either. I’ve been reduced to getting excited about the draft lottery on Wednesday.

11:00- Wade hits a step-back. I’m ending this.

Bitch about the refs, bitch about the technicals, bitch about whatever you want. The Celtics simply didn’t get it done outside of the second quarter.

Okay, that’s not fair. Their defense has been awesome basically all post-season and tonight was no different. The issue is that our offense needs to find something , anything, to get going. It’s a jump shooting team, and success will come from making easy shots for the jump shooters. Hitting the jump shots also would help.

Issue is that they didn’t. And that’s why they lost. The defense was there, the offense wasn’t. The Heat played a complete game, and the Celtics didn’t.

This doesn’t bode well.

11:04- Marquis Daniels hit a jumper. If I wasn’t depressed I would post the GIF of him flexing.

11:05- Juwaun Howard just hit a jumper… that’s all you need to know.